Fantastic feasts and where we found them: Caron and Jay’s 2018 year in review

By Caron Streibich and Jay MageeFor the Times-Union

Saturday

Dec 29, 2018 at 2:01 AM

Eating at home is cheaper than ever these days, yet the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals Americans devote an increasing share of their household budgets — nearly 6 percent — to eating out. That’s nipping at the 7.2 percent we earmark for groceries.

Never mind the pre-made meal kit companies, online grocery delivery services and organic grocers promising to bring home convenience and variety along with savings. Our modern lifestyles, their own appetites for our time voracious, and a stout economy continue to draw us to tables other than our own.

Whatever might draw you out — to avoid kitchen duty, celebrate a special occasion or explore a new cuisine — we, your Times-Union restaurant reviewers, have got your back.

As the First Coast welcomes new eateries and dining trends, we’ll continue to be your eyes and ears for the best of the new or hidden tried-and-trues that deserve praise. We hope you’ll return the favor and share your favorite new tables with us.

For now, we are proud to serve up a piping-hot reheated rendition of our top 10 restaurant picks from the year that was … delicious.

CARON’S PICKS

• Restaurant Doro, 106 1st St, Neptune Beach, (904) 853-6943

Burrata ($12)

Doro’s preparation is unique and creative: mushroom tapenade, lemon, breadcrumbs and pecan oil. An appetizer typically served with toasted bread, Doro’s instead utilizes breadcrumbs and pecan oil to mimic the essence of gluten, and it is held together with acidic lemon and oil. These layers of flavor and texture create a delicious complexity you won’t want to miss if you’re dining at the Beaches. The Beaches Town Center eatery is that of Chef Christopher Polidoro, a 25-year veteran chef with a Culinary Institute of America pedigree.

• Bellwether, 100 N. Laura St., Downtown Jacksonville, (904) 802-7745

Crab Apple Rangoon ($6)

Guaranteed, these will be the best $6 you’ve spent in a long time, and you may want to bring $12 in case you need a second order. Pastry Chef Rebecca Reed takes a clever approach on these fried cheesecake and Biscoff cookie butter stuffed wontons — first dusted with cinnamon sugar, it’s the crab apple butter and salted caramel they’re served with that makes them a top 10 of 2018. Sweet, savory and salty collide harmoniously in this standout dessert.

We’re lucky to have relative newcomer, Timwah, and all of its homemade dim sum glory. This family-run spot is small but packs a steady crowd that’s eager to share its push cart (steamed and fried) favorites. This bowl of fried shrimp are tossed in the most flavorful, spicy blend of toasted shallots and garlic, jalapeno, red pepper, salt and pepper, pepper flakes cilantro and onion. There’s so much depth in this combination of ingredients. You could likely slather this combination on anything and it’d go over well — especially Timwah’s shrimp!

Blink and you’ll likely miss this small, no-frills, counter-service fast casual Mediterranean spot on University Bouelvard — but you’ll be sad you did because it has the best fattoush salad in town. Perfectly tangy and sweet thanks to a magical dressing that includes lemon and pomegranate molasses, this salad has chopped lettuce, juicy tomatoes, parsley, crisp cucumbers, chopped onions, plenty of crispy torn pita chips and sumac. It is truly the sum of these parts that makes it craveable and noteworthy.

JAY’S PICKS

• Lanna Thai, 1605 CR 210, Unit 180, Fleming Island, (904) 375-1868

Thai Donut ($5.50)

It’s refreshing to find an authentic, family-run eatery wedged into a bustling strip mall in a bedroom community otherwise thick with national fast-casual chains. Lanna Thai shines in Fleming Island with a tasty, comprehensive array of classic Thai dishes, as well as this crowd-pleasing sweet treat. For $5.50, our table of three enjoyed eight hot-and-golden Mickey Mouse-shaped pastries with a creamy dipper of condensed milk and crushed peanuts. Worth. Every. Calorie. Luckily, if said calories get you down, a gym is conveniently next door.

This reformed Taco Bell near Beach and San Pablo just celebrated its one-year anniversary, serving largely Asian-influenced organic small plates, smoothies, juices, bowls and sandwiches. Most menu items are designated as either vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or low-carb. Dine-in customers can also partake in guided-meditation classes and traditional Chinese tea ceremonies in the “Zen room.” The Housemade Golden Dumplings or Potstickers can be had stuffed with mushroom and seasoned tofu, made on the premises, or chicken. I opted for the former during my visit, which were pleasingly plump and perfectly pan-fried to a golden, crispy exterior with a moist, dense filling of seasoned tofu awaiting. For quintessential Asian comfort food, this small plate is mighty tough to beat.

The Tallahassee-based Vale Food Co. is an upgrade in many ways from its Brooklyn Station on Riverside forerunner, Grabbagreen. The concepts are similar enough—leafy, grainy bowls and other healthy containers of the above. Vale adds an assembly line model for customizing meals, playing up the value of before-your-eyes freshness, with colorful proteins dancing in sizzling skillets. Prices are generally lower, too. For my money, the Regular Bowl packed great variety and volume, with your choice of two bases or carbs, two proteins and two veggies with a boost (veggie garnish) and sauce. The combinations here are limitless, but if they’re offered, go for the turkey spinach feta meatballs. They were tangy delights and punched up my already charged-up chipotle mac-and-cheese. If bowls aren’t your thing, the Guacamole Toast ($7.49) is a delicious yet surprisingly substantial small plate, boasting four slices of whole-grain bread smeared with chunky house-made guac and two boosts.

It’s hard to find a family-friendly Italian eatery more idyllic than Poppy’s in Ponte Vedra. Think family photos tacked up in the foyer, greenery wall accents, brass chandeliers and garlic ciabatta loaf to die for. In terms of Italian comfort food, so was the Baked Lasagna, a fluffy cloud of melt-in-your-mouth pasta layers alternating with robust ground beef and a rich blend of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. For dessert, ask for the homemade Limoncello cake ($7.95), a very flavor-forward wedge of moist, refreshing yet not-too-sweet lemon cake. Poppy’s even sports a drive-through window for pick-up orders, but you’re best to dine in to absorb old-school Italian at its finest.

• Pho Dim Sum, 9866-8 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, (904) 619-4606

Stir-Fried Thick Rice Noodles with Beef ($12.95)

While the Chinese art of dim sum is a relative rarity on the First Coast, this Baymeadows eatery offers nearly 25 offerings of the steaming small-plate delicacy, along with Vietnamese-themed appetizers, noodle salads, pho and bubble teas. Purists can even enjoy dining room cart service for a few hours on Sundays. For my visit, though, the show-stopper entrée wasn’t the dim sum but the Stir-Fried Thick Rice Noodles with Beef. This colorful, fragrant bowl blended lots of green and white onion with tender, sliced beef in a sea of thick egg and thin vermicelli noodles. The slices of fresh white onion really punctuated this dish, which was so big I was able to harvest two additional meals from the leftovers.

Caron Streibich is an avid food-lover who reviews restaurants every other week in the Dining section. Follow her dining adventures at facebook.com/caroneats and #caroneats on Instagram.

Jay Magee’s Instagram account is buried under a thick layer of digital dust. He brings a real camera to his reviews, too. He’s a fortysomething husband and dad who appreciates a spacious meal for a good value, especially offbeat spots in forgotten strip malls that deserve glory. Dig into his review archives at jaymagee.yelp.com, and find out if he will follow through on his New Year’s resolution to update his blog at jaymagee.com.

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